Inflatable kayaks provide several benefits over noninflatable kayaks made from wood or fiberglass. In particular, inflatable kayaks are more portable than noninflatable kayaks and are safer to use. These advantages of inflatable kayaks result from several design differences between inflatable and noninflatable kayaks.
For example, noninflatable kayaks have a solid shell which cannot be collapsed or folded for portability. While noninflatable kayaks are relatively lightweight their relatively large size makes transporting them difficult. In contrast, inflatable kayaks can be deflated and folded up to a relatively compact size for portability.
Further, noninflatable kayaks have a deck which completely covers the kayak except for a hold through which the user fits. The user's legs extend into the space between the hull of the kayak and the deck, and the user wears a tight fitting apron which is secured around the edge of the hole in the kayak deck. In contrast, an inflatable kayak has no deck. The user simply sits in the inflatable kayak with his legs extended forward. Consequently, inflatable kayaks are safer to use than noninflatable kayaks because the user is not enclosed within the body of the kayak if the kayak turns over in the water.
Nevertheless, conventional inflatable kayaks suffer from several disadvantages. For instance, conventional kayaks often lack the rigidity required to allow the user to traverse rough terrain. Thus, many experienced kayak users prefer a noninflatable kayak that allows the user to traverse shallow water rapids and other challenging marine environments.
There remains a need for a portable, lightweight kayak having sufficient rigidity to traverse difficult marine environments.